


Love at First Branch

by Kateera



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Hannibal is Not a Cannibal, M/M, young abigail
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 02:27:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13137183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kateera/pseuds/Kateera
Summary: Hannibal and his adopted daughter went looking for a tree, and Hannibal came back with a crush. Lucky for him, Will Graham is now also caught in the web of a crush and he doesn't know what to do about it. Buster may be a Christmas angel, but who knows?





	Love at First Branch

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by the ever lovely [thekeyholder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekeyholder) who puts up with my ability to wait till the very last moment to finish a story! If you find a mistake, it is all my own.
> 
> Happy Holidays and may you have moments that make you smile, laugh, and feel joy!

"Are we going now?"

"Just a moment. Put on your coat," Hannibal said, pointing to the coat rack by the door. 

Abigail sighed and grabbed her pale blue peacock coat, slipping it on while she waited to leave.

"All the good trees will be gone!" She whined as Hannibal patted his pockets and then headed back to the kitchen.

He returned with his wallet, tapping her on the nose with it. "Wouldn't want to forget this, or else we'd have to steal a tree."

Abigail giggled. "That sounds hard."

"Much more work than I'm willing to go through at this moment, yes."

Holding open the door, Hannibal ushered Abigail outside. He smiled at her enthusiasm, something she was just beginning to let him see. It hadn't been easy to gain custody of the traumatized child, especially when he'd been first brought in to consult on her case.

After her father murdered her mother in front of her and then slit Abigail's throat as the police responded to her panicked 911 call, Abigail had been unreachable, building walls faster than people could break through them. Hannibal used every contact he had to bring her home and coax her out of her shell. She'd escaped her father with minimal physical damage, a small thin scar across her neck, and the doctors told her how lucky she was. One look into her blue eyes and Hannibal saw how fragile she was, how easy it would be to break her apart. He couldn't let the foster care system destroy her.

Adopting a young child of only eight years old hadn't been in any of Hannibal's carefully laid plans, but Abigail needed him and he enjoyed the bond growing between them.

"You're driving too slow," Abigail said, crossing her arms as another car passed them.

Hannibal smiled and patted her arm. "I'm going the speed limit. There's no need to rush on a Sunday."

They arrived at their destination, Graham's Christmas Tree Farm, and joined the crowd of people standing outside the locked gate.

Abigail huffed. "Told you."

"They aren't even open yet," Hannibal said, pulling his coat straight and then brushing Abigail's hair away from her face. "Go put your adorable nature to use and get a position at the front."

She grinned and tucked her hair behind her ears. "Okay!"

Reaching into the car, Hannibal pulled out a thermos of hot chocolate and settled it into the leather satchel he carried everytime he went out with Abigail. He drapped the strap across his shoulders while he watched her smile and dance her way to the front.

Though he would never give an official diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder to someone so young, Hannibal kept a close eye on the way Abigail interacted with the world around her. Her severe detachment from other people and creatures, as well as her use of charm to manipulate anyone she met, gave his suspicions more than enough weight for him to be cautious. 

Violence could come easy to her and Hannibal wanted to pull her off the path laid down when her father dragged that knife across her throat.

A few minutes later, the crowd of excited children and tired parents stirred and the gates swung open. The children burst through like a pack of wild dogs and Hannibal felt a jolt of pride at the sight of Abigail leading the charge.

Everyone from the social worker to his friends told him about the difficulties he could face with such a troubled child, but now all he could see was a girl too excited about Christmas to worry about who could see her scar or who might touch her.

Tree shopping with Abigail consisted of chasing her around the farm as she considered each tree, finding fault with every single one of them. Hannibal insisted on a break after a couple of hours. Pouring her hot chocolate into a tin mug, he made her sit in the picnic table area while she drank it and watched the crowd.

"He's going to slip," Abigail said, pointing to the little boy running over the grounds in light up sneakers.

Her prediction proved true as the boy darted across the walkway and slipped on a patch of ice. 

Giggling in delight, Abigail clapped her hands and looked up at Hannibal.

He sighed and shook his head. "You know you're not supposed to find other people's misfortunes humorous, right?"

She tilted her head. "Not even if it's funny. That was funny."

Hannibal hummed and bent down to look her in the eye. "Alright, you're right. You can find it funny, but you have to hide your reaction in mixed company."

"Not socially acceptable?" She asked, taking another sip from her mug.

"Exactly," Hannibal said, nodding his head.

"Alright." She turned back to the crowd with a passive expression on her face.

Hannibal set his satchel on the ground and brought her head down to kiss her forehead. "You're doing fine."

A small white and brown terrier came tearing out of the trees and headed straight for Hannibal. He only had time to snatch Abigail up into his arms as the dog skidded to a halt and dove head first into Hannibal's open satchel.

"Hey, hey, no," Hannibal scolded the dog as he backed away. "Get out of there."

"Buster! Buster! Get over here!"

Turning to face the newcomer, Hannibal witnessed a slim, scruffy man dressed in plaid and denim place his fingers in his mouth and whistle.

The dog, Buster, popped out of the bag with Abigail's stuffed penguin in his mouth. She screamed as Buster ran away with the toy and Hannibal held her close as he stalked after the badly trained animal.

"He took Penelope!" Abigail wailed, large tears rolling down her cheeks.

To his credit, the scruffy dog owner looked horrified as Buster ran past with his prize. "I'll get it back," the man said in a rush. "I promise."

Abigail whimpered and sniffed and Hannibal glared as the man raced off after his dog.

"He'll ruin her." Abigail wrapped her arms around Hannibal's neck. "We'll have to bury her in the backyard next to Mr. Pickles."

"Let's not call her a lost cause yet," Hannibal said, giving her forehead a kiss.

Mr. Pickles had been a casualty of Abigail’s fascination with Hannibal's fireplace, a stuffed raven with comically large eyes that had ended up a burned lump of fibrous plastic. Hannibal treated Mr. Pickles demise as a grand tragedy and Abigail stopped throwing things into the fire.

A young woman weaved through the thinning crowd and smiled at Abigail. "Having trouble picking out a tree?"

Abigail looked up with menace in her face. "A dog stole my Penelope! All your trees suck!"

"Abby, you say sorry right now," Hannibal said in his disappointed voice. "Lashing out at strangers isn't socially acceptable, even if you're upset."

"Oh, she's alright," the woman said with a dismissive wave. "I'd be distraught if I had a Penelope and some dog stole her." She leaned in and lowered her voice. "Do we have a list of suspects?"

"Beverly, leave them alone." The scruffy man returned with a slightly mangled stuffed penguin. "You're never going to convince me to give up my dogs."

"A girl has to try, Will," she said with a shrug. "You're never going to catch a man if you're constantly covered in dog hair."

Will glared and pointed behind him. "We have customers waiting for your help."

Hannibal placed Abigail on the ground while Beverly stuck her tongue out at Will and marched away. Abigail darted behind his leg while Hannibal stared at the man holding her penguin.

_ He’s beautiful. How is he so beautiful? _

Will knelt down and placed the penguin right in front of his face and took a deep breath.

"Miss! Miss!" He said, adopting a high pitched voice. "I've beaten the beast and returned to you!"

A warmth settled in Hannibal's chest at the man's efforts.

Abigail peeked around Hannibal's leg and scowled. "That's not how she talks. She's from London."

Will looked up at Hannibal and smiled and almost knocked Hannibal off his feet with the force of his beauty. "My apologies." 

Bringing the penguin closer to Abigail, he tried again. "Missus, missus! Was a terrible vicious mutt, he was, but I bested him and employed this mangy devil to return to you."

His accent was awful, but it had Abigail smiling and reaching for the dognapped stuffed toy and Hannibal could kiss him.

"You're safe now," Abigail whispered, clutching Penelope to her chest.

Will looked from Abigail to Hannibal and coughed, standing up and stuffing his hands in his pockets. "For your trouble, the least I can do is offer you a tree, on the house."

"Your employer won't object?" Hannibal asked, not wanting to get the man in trouble.

Will grinned and shook his head. "No, I've stopped arguing with myself. I get the worst headaches after."

Hannibal felt his cheeks blush and his heart race. "Well, thank you. You don't have to, of course."

_ Am I having a panic attack? I’m never this tongue-tied! _

"Don't worry. The price will come out of Buster's treat fund." Will scratched at his beard and looked down at Abigail. "He's not a bad dog, but he gets overexcited around people and forgets his manners and, well, I guess I didn't close the gate as well as I thought I had."

Abigail tucked Penelope into her coat and met Will's eyes. "Can we go look at more trees now?"

Will nodded and Hannibal patted her back.

"Yes, yes, go on." Hannibal waved her off while he gathered up his thermos and leather satchel. "I'll be along shortly."

She skipped off and Hannibal turned his full attention on Will, desperate to know everything about him.

"She's been through some shit, huh?" Will brought his eyes up to meet Hannibal's. "Something that makes it hard for her to connect with people."

Hannibal stared at Will, trying to gauge the man's character and getting lost in the color of his eyes. As Will shuffled on his feet, Hannibal realized he’d been staring for too long.

He looked away and down at his feet. "Yes, Abigail is a special girl." He brought his eyes back to Will’s face and held out his hand. "Hannibal Lecter, at your service."

Will took his hand with another devastating smile. "Will Graham and it's actually me who's at your service." He looked around them and then pulled Hannibal away from the walkway. "Want to see my favorite trees?"

"Favorite trees?" Hannibal watched Will blush and couldn't stop the swift wave of attraction flood through him.

_ It’s like he’s glowing. What is happening to me? _

"Well, I'm kind of in the tree business, so it's not weird to have favorites." WIll moved away, walking backwards and keeping his eyes on Hannibal. "What's the harm?"

"What's the harm indeed?" Hannibal whispered to himself as he followed after Will, the strange and devastatingly handsome tree farmer.

Will's favorite trees were hidden in the back near the fence, where they also found Abigail swinging around one of the tree trunks and singing.

"Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas," she sang in an off key voice. "plus a happy new year."

"Abby, what are you doing?" Hannibal called out.

"Making friends," Abigail answered, clutching Penelope tight when she spotted Will. "What are you doing?"

"Exactly the same thing," Hannibal said with a wink.

She huffed and twirled around her tree again. "I picked one."

Hannibal looked up at the tall tree with its wide lower branches and elegant taper to the top and nodded. "Very nice. This is one of Will's favorite trees though."

"That's stupid," Abigail said before clasping her hand over her mouth.

Hannibal frowned. "You need to apologize."

"I'm sorry," she said with a pretty smile. "Can we still have the tree?"

Will laughed, a huffing breath that captured Hannibal's full attention. "Honesty is refreshing, thank you, Abigail." He looked at the tree and then at Hannibal. "Your daughter has good taste."

"She gets that from me," Hannibal told him with a smile. "Tell me the truth, how much would that tree normally sell for?"

"Oh, I am not ever going to answer that question," Will answered, his easy grin sending shivers along Hannibal’s spine. "Will you need delivery?"

"Yes, thank you." Hannibal watched Will as he watched Abigail and tried to get his attraction under control. 

When Abigail slipped on a twig and hit the ground, Will raced forward with Hannibal to make sure she was alright. Hannibal knew he was smitten even as worry for Abigail flooded through him.

“Abby, are you alright?” Hannibal asked, checking her pupil dilation as he leaned over her.

“I’m okay,” Abigail said, coughing and clutching her chest. “Just couldn’t breathe for a bit.”

“That will happen when you aren’t paying attention.” Hannibal checked her eye movement and sighed in relief as everything read normal. “We should get home though.”

Will stood up and rubbed at his neck. “Are you sure you don’t need a doctor or something? That was a nasty spill.”

Hannibal chuckled and Abigail laughed with him. “I am a doctor. She’s fine, just got the wind knocked out of her.”

“Of course. You’re a doctor,” Will said, stepping back and wrapping his arms around his chest. “Well, I’ll put a tag on this tree with your address and have it delivered this week.”

Hannibal frowned at Will’s suddenly cool attitude, but kept his attention on Abigail, picking her up and brushing snow and leaves off her coat. “Thank you. Do you make the deliveries?”

“I have a driver,” Will said, his tone friendly, but distant. “We’ll call to make sure someone’s home before he drives out.”

“Oh, pity.” Hannibal faced Will and gave him a wide smile, hoping to bring back the friendly flirting. “If you were the driver, I could plan a little thank you for the beautiful tree.”

Will flushed and took a step back. “That’s not really necessary.”

“It would be my pleasure,” Hannibal said, stepping closer and keeping his body between Will and Abigail. “I would love to thank you for your help today.”

Will rubbed the back of his neck and his beard, and his eyes darted between the ground and the space just to the left of Hannibal’s eyes. “I’ll see if I have time. That’s all I can promise.”

Hannibal nodded and turned back to Abigail. “Let’s fill out our paperwork and go home, alright?”

“Alright.” She placed Penelope inside her coat and looked at Will. “Thank you for the tree. I’m glad Buster didn’t eat Penelope.”

“Me too,” Will said, giving the girl a smile. He pulled out a small notepad and handed it to Hannibal. “Write down your phone number and address and I’ll make sure the tree gets to you by the end of the week.”

“Thank you very much, Will.” Hannibal let his tongue run over Will’s name, drawing out the sound like a caress.

He took the notepad while Will coughed and tried to cover his blush, signing his name along with all the information requested with a pleased smile on his face. The blush gave Hannibal confidence that he wasn't flirting for nothing.

Abigail walked up and tugged on his coat. “Hannibal, can we get ice cream on the way home?”

Looking at Will, Hannibal watched the realization fall over his face, but he didn’t say anything, just smiled and nodded and walked away.

“We have ice cream at home,” Hannibal told Abigail as they headed for the exit.

“I know, but Hansel’s has bubblegum flavor!”

Hannibal laughed and scooped Abigail’s hand into his own. “Atrociously flavored ice cream, coming up.”

Abigail’s delighted squeal rang through the parking lot and Hannibal wanted to join in her joy, not for ice cream, but for his fortunate encounter with the beautiful Will Graham and the chance he might get to see him again.

 

*******

 

Will pulled a red tag from his coat and placed it on the tree, marking it as sold, and headed back to his house. He patted the notebook in his pocket and wondered about the doctor and his young charge. He normally didn't interact with the customers, leaving them in Beverly’s and Matthew's capable hands while he tended the trees, but Buster's escape to freedom had him rushing through the crowds without a thought. Buster brought him straight to the most beautiful man he’d ever seen and then proceeded to almost ruin everything with his chaotic nature.

Seeing Buster sitting by the gate, Will frowned. "Get back, you mongrel," he growled, pointing to the house. "You cost me a tree."

Buster didn't seem particularly sorry about his adventure, yipping in delight and prancing back and forth along the gate. Will sighed and shooed him away as he entered the fenced yard and back into his house. Picking up his phone, he called the small office located near the entrance.

"Graham's Christmas Farm, how can I help?" Matthew's practiced customer voice made Will smile.

"I need you to go to the back field and take down the tree with the sold marker on it," Will told him as he looked out the window towards the farm.

"I thought those weren't for sale?" Confusion colored Matthew's voice.

"They aren't, well, not normally." Will shuffled into his kitchen and took out an old pot and placed it on the stove. "I gave it to a nice family. I'll take care of the delivery on it, just get it ready for transport tomorrow, alright?"

"Whatever you say, boss," Matthew said with a sigh. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, tell Bev to stop harassing the customers."

"You're asking for miracles now."

Will chuckled. "Thanks, Matt."

"Sure thing."

Hanging up the phone, he slid it into his pocket and pulled out a container of leftover soup from the fridge, pouring it into the pan.

_ What am I doing? He's a doctor. _

Doctors as a whole didn't bother Will, but being attracted to one gave him unsettling flashback. The last man he'd dated had been a doctor, a psychiatrist with an easy smile and charming manners and he'd been sucked into a world of extravagance and pleasure. A few months into the relationship and Will found the notes that the man had been making about him and his various 'conditions'. The man left his house with a broken nose and Will retreated further into his shell. 

_ Hannibal seems nice, but so did Frederick, at first. _ Will turned on the stove and pulled a beer from the fridge.  _ Frederick never would have taken on the responsibility of a child, though. _

Will stirred his soup and pondered the choices in front of him. He couldn't deny that he was attracted to the man, both his physique and his energy. 

_ Maybe I’ll make the delivery and just see what happens. _

 

*******

 

The next day, Will spent the morning in a fog of indecision and almost convinced himself that Hannibal was just being polite when Beverly walked into his office and smacked him on the arm.

"Stop thinking, start doing." She glared at him as he yelped. "You've been going back and forth about that attractive man with his adorable daughter all day. You need to get in that truck and deliver that tree and hope he wants to play hide the cock with you."

"I don't need your help," Will told her, glaring back as he rubbed his arm.

"Obviously you do," she replied as she plucked the truck keys off the wall and threw them at him. "I already called and said the tree was being delivered so, go."

Will left, clutching the keys in his hand and muttering about pushy employees. Looking at the paperwork in the truck, Will groaned at the address and started the vehicle.

_ Of course he lives in the fanciest part of town. What am I doing? _

Arriving at the house thirty minutes later, Will pulled into the large driveway and stared at the attractively decorated trim and small snowman sitting out in the large yard. The door opened and Hannibal came out, dressed in a brown coat and gloves, and waved at him. Will didn’t think he’d ever seen a more adorable sight.

_ Fuck. _

Will waved back and hopped out of the truck.

"I assumed you would need help with the tree," Hannibal said as he drew closer.

Will nodded and went to the back, dropping the tailgate and climbing up. "Thank you. I haven't delivered trees in a while, not since I could afford the help."

"I am happy to assist," Hannibal said with a smile.

Will felt his chest warm from the light in that smile and grinned back. "I appreciate it."

With Hannibal's help, Will maneuvered the tree onto the porch and then carried it into the large house, careful of the floors as he followed Hannibal into the living room. Sliding the net off the tree, Will and Hannibal dropped it into the waiting stand.

"Looks good in here," Will said, brushing his hands on his pants.

"It certainly does," Hannibal said and Will looked over to see him staring at him with a small smile.

Will massaged the back of his neck and smiled back. "Well, I hope you have a good Christmas."

"Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"What?" Will was sure he'd heard wrong.

Hannibal stepped closer. "I said, would you like to stay for dinner? I would love to repay your kindness and I've been told I'm an excellent cook."

Will stared in disbelief and furrowed his brow. "That's not necessary."

Hannibal kept moving until he stood right in front of Will, their faces close enough that Will could see the faint reddish hue in Hannibal's eyes.

"It would be my pleasure."

"Why?" Will silently cursed his mouth's ability to run off without thinking things through.

"You were kind to Abigail, showed me your favorite trees, and have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen," Hannibal said with a tilt of his head. "Forgive me if I'm being too forward, but I find myself unable to stop staring."

Will blushed and looked at the carpet, at the tree stand, at anything except Hannibal's handsome face and shining eyes.

Hannibal stepped back and placed his hands behind his back. "My apologies."

"No, no, it's not, it just," Will stammered and stopped talking, taking a breath before he tried again. "You caught me off guard." Will wanted to taste those curving lips and find out how strong those arms really were. "Ask me."

"Excuse me?"

The wrinkle of Hannibal's brow shouldn't have made Will's stomach flutter, but he was too far in to try and back out now. He moved forward and smoothed out the wrinkle with the tip of his finger.

"Ask me, to stay for dinner."

Hannibal smiled and nodded. "Will, would you like to stay for dinner?"

"I'd like that very much," Will said, his eyes shining and his heart lighter than it had been in years. "Let me just tell Bev I won't be back for a bit."

Hannibal leaned down and kissed him, a soft press of lips that ended far too quickly. Will looked into his face to see a smear of pink color across Hannibal's cheeks and relief flooded through him.

_ It’s not just me being an idiot. He feels it too. _

"I'm not used to feeling like this," Hannibal confessed, his voice soft and low. "I've wanted to kiss you since I saw you kneel in the snow and talk to Abigail through a battered stuffed animal."

Will thought he might float away from the light heady feeling spreading through his body. "Penelope survived her ordeal and I simply returned her, as any good citizen would do."

Cupping his hand around Will's face, Hannibal shook his head. "I might not be used to this, but I could learn."

"We hardly know each other," Will replied as his hands moved up to clasp around Hannibal's shoulders. "But I understand exactly what you mean."

Will's phone buzzed and the spell wrapped around them broke. He stepped back and pulled out the device to see a text from Beverly.

**Don't even think about coming back. We'll see you tomorrow.**

Shaking his head, he tucked his phone back into his pants and gave Hannibal a grin. "My staff seems to think I should stay here."

"Intuitive bunch." Hannibal held out a hand. "Dinner will give us the perfect opportunity to get to know each other."

Will took his hand and followed him out of the room. "You're a doctor, a dad, and have excellent taste in trees. What more do I need to know?"

Hannibal's rumbling laugh filled the hallway and echoed through the house, reminding Will of the little girl who'd brought them together.

"Where's Abigail?" He asked as they moved through the house.

She's still at school," Hannibal said and glanced at his watch. "She should be home in about an hour which leaves us plenty of time for dinner preparations."

"My dinner preparations usually just include heating up soup or making a sandwich," Will said, following Hannibal into a large kitchen with stainless steel appliances and white and gray marble countertops.

More laughter bubbled out of Hannibal and Will had the stray thought that he wanted to listen to that laugh for the rest of his life. Shaking his head to clear away the absurd idea, he took a seat on one of the stools under the large island counter and watched Hannibal pull out ingredients.

"Will it truly take an hour for dinner?" Will asked, keeping his voice innocent and his eyes wide.

Hannibal looked over, suspicion written on his face. "I suppose not. Why?"

"I want to kiss you again," Will said, licking his lips as he watched Hannibal skirt around the island to stand next to him.

"I could never refuse a guest," Hannibal said, bringing his lips inches away from Will's mouth.

Will placed his hands on Hannibal's hips and closed the gap, feeling Hannibal's lips curve in a smile as he kissed him. Time stood still as Will sank into the embrace, letting himself burst through his wall of hesitations. When the kiss ended, Will leaned against Hannibal's chest and he groaned against the soft fabric.

"How is this possible? What the hell am I doing?"

"I'm afraid I don't understand the first question," Hannibal said, the low growl of his voice making Will shiver. “You’re letting me kiss you is the answer to the second.”

"I met you yesterday, at work, where my dog almost destroyed your daughter's toy. Today I'm sitting in your kitchen, too happy for words, and kissing you." Will looked up to Hannibal's face. "And you're looking at me like that. Have I finally lost my mind?"

"Too happy for words?" Hannibal asked as he buried a hand in Will's hair.

Will sighed and leaned into the caress, marveling at the feeling of complete safety he felt while wrapped in Hannibal’s arms. "If I am losing my mind, it's a good way to go."

Hannibal chuckled. "Agreed."

"So, anything else I should know before I completely give into this thing between us?" Will asked, running his hands over Hannibal's stomach.

"I work as a surgeon for Baltimore Medical Center, I'm originally from Lithuania, and my adopted daughter might have antisocial personality disorder." Hannibal hummed and tilted his head. "I don't own a microwave and I have this urge to keep you here forever."

Will groaned and pulled Hannibal's head down for a quick kiss. "I have half a mind to let you."

"What about you?" Hannibal asked.

"Well, you know I own a Christmas tree farm," Will said thoughtfully. "I'm originally from Louisiana, I have three adopted dogs, so I've usually got dog hair on me. I like fishing, and I've eaten far too many microwave meals to count." He paused and locked eyes with Hannibal. "Antisocial personality disorder?"

"As you said, Abigail doesn't connect well with people." Hannibal kept his eyes on Will as he spoke. "Some people might say she's a psychopath when she's older."

"Oh." Will digested this information and then shrugged. "People can fuck off."

Hannibal pulled Will tight against his chest and brought their mouths together in a deep kiss that curled Will's toes and left him clutching at Hannibal's shirt. The sound of the door opening threw them apart and Hannibal moved to the stove as Abigail walked into the kitchen. She looked at Hannibal, looked at Will, and then huffed.

"Buster isn't allowed in my room," she said and walked off.

Will blinked and looked at Hannibal and found him blushing at Abigail’s words. Will laughed, throwing his head back and clutching his stomach as the hilarity rolled through him. Hannibal's laugh joined his and when they heard Abigail's door slam, the laughter grew.

Bright lights of red and green twinkled on the porch and over the roof and the tree in the living room spread the scent of fresh pine through the air and laughter sang along the walls, making a home where once stood only a house.

 

*******

 

**Two weeks later**

 

“Are you awake?” Hannibal asked.

Will rolled over and gave him a sweet smile. “Morning.”

“Happy Christmas,” Hannibal said, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Will’s curved lips. 

Waking up and seeing Will stretched out next to him was the best present Hannibal could have asked for, the warmth for his smile and the soft touch of his hand making his heart burst with joy.

“You think the child is up?” Will asked, petting Hannibal’s naked chest and then nuzzling into his neck.

A small giggle was the only warning Hannibal had before Abigail burst into his room in a flurry of pink pajamas and swinging arms.

“It’s Christmas! Wake up!” She bounced on the bed and stared at the two men currently pulling their covers over their chests. “What are you doing?”

Hannibal groaned and shooed her away. “Go find your stocking, and we’ll be down in a moment.”

“Yay!” She twisted on the bed and hopped off, racing out the door with Penelope flying behind her like a penguin shaped kite.

“There goes that plan,” Will said, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

“I’ll get her occupied if you want to shower.” Brushing a quick kiss across Will’s forehead, Hannibal slid out of bed and pulled on flannel pajama bottoms and his large red sweater. “What would you like for breakfast?”

Will groaned and rolled out of bed. “Surprise me. I’m sure Abigail has an opinion.”

“As always,” Hannibal conceded.

Will walked over and pulled Hannibal into a tight hug. “Merry Christmas, Hannibal.”

Tilting Will’s face up, Hannibal looked down at him with a fond smile. “Shower, food, presents. Sound good?”

“Sounds perfect,” Will answered and squeezed him tight once more before releasing him and ambling into the bathroom.

Watching him go, Hannibal’s chest throbbed with a pleasant ache. Abigail’s delighted squeals trailed up from the living room and he could hear Will begin humming in the bathroom. He’d never had a Christmas filled with so much joy, but the two loves of his life surrounded him and Hannibal took a moment to bask in the feeling before he headed down the stairs. Abigail would want waffles with whipped cream for breakfast.


End file.
